Republic of Rathnelly

Location: Rathnelly Avenue and Poplar Plains Crescent

Date photo taken: 25 September 2013

Back in 1967 Canada celebrated its centennial. The various levels of government, private corporations and organizations of all descriptions marked the occasion with special projects. Citizens too were encouraged to celebrate this milestone and projects big and small were publicized in the newspaper. One neighbourhood in Toronto decided to celebrate by seceding from Canada. On June 10, 1967 residents of Rathnelly took to the streets, erected barricades, declared themselves an independent republic within the borders of Canada and had themselves a grand party. While it was all in fun, resident Alan Thomas explained at the time that they had "planned it as a reminder that there was a slender thread of rebellion in Canada's history". The shenanigans went beyond a single day in 1967 however. In 1969, looking for funding for the erection of a playground, representatives of the Republic wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau asking for a foreign aid grant. More recently, in 2012, street signs like the one above were distributed throughout the neighbourhood. The coat of arms features neighbourhood markers including train tracks and a rough sketch showing the five blocks that make up the area, as well as the Expo symbol and six martini glasses, presumably a nod to the year and spirit of its founding.

Kiss and Tell

Location: Alleyway just west of Church, at Wellesley

Date photo taken: 11 May 2016

Running down the west side of an alley near the corner of Church and Wellesley are the silhouettes of a number of couples kissing. They are powerful, colourful and at once both simple and intricate. The work, by artist Natalie Wood, was inspired by the groundbreaking educational campaign "Kissing Doesn't Kill" from the late 1980s. She adds another layer of meaning by crafting the figures using a collage of book and publication covers with significant meaning to herself and other members of the local LGBTQ community. If you want to learn more about this mural project, there's a great video with Wood on the Queerstory website.

Patrician Grill

Location: 219 King St. E. near Sherbourne

Date photo taken: 16 September 2013

The Patrician Grill is exactly what you'd expect, based on the sign. It's a diner serving up comfort food standards like burgers and meatloaf and it's been doing it since the 1950s. Family owned and operated, first by husband and wife team Louie and Helen Papas, and now by the next generation, it remains true to its roots. Stubbornly so. As one story goes, when a note was slipped under the door criticizing them for not having fruit on the menu, the specials board soon read "Fruit-free since 1967". Reviewers on sites from Google to Trip Advisor agree though that good food is exactly what you'll find inside. 

Bike Rack - Blue Coil

Location: Hanlan's Point, Toronto Islands

Date photo taken: 21 May 2015

In June 2016 the city adopted a 10 year cycling network plan geared to improving cycling infrastructure in the city. One small piece of this is bike parking, or bike racks. While the majority of racks installed by the city are of standard post-and-ring design, they are looking at different options. In the meantime, there are lots of examples of interesting racks out there. Here is one from the Toronto Islands, near the entrance to Hanlan's Point beach.